Fuse



' March 3, 1942. TOWNER 2,274,755

'.FUSE

Filed April 6,4938

Inventor Harald G-'Tmwnar may E'Mh, @M

Patented Mar. 3, 1942 STATES PATENT OFFIQE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 1. Claim.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates in general to a fuse and more particularly it has reference to means for rotatably connecting the base and setting cap of a time fuse.

In fuses wherein the cap is to be rotatable with respect to the base it has been the usual practice to connect these units by some form of coupling ring.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and effective connection which will permit relative rotation of the cap and base to set the timing mechanism of the fuse and which will prevent their derangement under the infiuence of centrifugal force during flight.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claim forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fuse casing whose units are held in assembly by the improved coupling means;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown a fuse casing of generally circular shape in horizontal cross section comprising a base 5 and a rotatable setting cap 6. The base is formed with a reduced upper part 1 for receiving the lower end of the cap which rests upon an annular seat 8 established in the base.

The lower end of the cap is provided internally with a radial inwardly opening circumferential or annular groove 9 of generally U-shape in cross-section which, when the cap is resting on the seat, registers with a circumferential orannular groove l0 provided externally on the reduced part I of the base. The groove 10 has beveled or outwardly diverging side walls |l--ll for engagement by correspondingly beveled or converging inner edges |2--l2 of a split coupling ring l3 and the outer termini of the diverging side walls coincide or register with the corresponding termini of the side walls of the U- shape groove when the two grooves are in normal registration.

For the purpose of assembly of the casing the ring I3 is housed completely within the groove 9. If the ring should protrude from the groove 9 during this operation, the lower beveled edge l2 will engage the upper part 1 of the base and be forced outwardly into the groove 9. When the cap and the base are brought into final position a plurality of screws l4 are applied in threaded apertures of the cap and act on the ring I3 to move it inwardly until the beveled inner portion of the ring enters the groove ll] and engages the surfaces of the groove to interlock the base and cap against aixal separation. The amount of pressure applied to the ring through the screws regulates the frictional contact between the ring and base and determines the resistance to rotation of the parts. An adjustment is made which will permit rotation of the cap to set the timing mechanism of the fuse and which will prevent relative movement of the parts under the influence of centrifugal force during flight.

I claim:

A fuse casing of generally circular shape in horizontal cross section including an annular groove having outwardly diverging upper and lower side walls, a setting cap mounted on the base for rotatable movement relative thereto and provided with a radial inwardly opening annular groove of generally U-shape in cross section and having upper and lower walls adapted to be registered with the outer termini of said diverging upper and lower side walls, respectively, a split ring of generally rectangular shape in cross section having radial inwardly converging upper and lower corners adapted to engage said diverging upper and lower side walls, respectively, inserted in said U-shape groove and adjustable means on said setting cap adapted to circumferentially contract the split ring to a position where its converging corners engage both of said diverging walls; whereby the setting cap and base are interlocked against axial separation and the frictional engagement between said diverging walls and converging corners may be regulated.

HAROLD G. TOWNER. 

